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Lex Luthor

Richard Branson recently commented on Donald Trump’s character, a statement which I found interesting given my recent decision to recast an analogy that Lex Luthor as depicted in Lois & Clark, was somewhat like Trump to the suggestion that he was somewhat like Branson. Again I was referring to the way the writers of that series had Luthor present himself as a suave business figure in public. Branson makes the point in his piece that Trump was filled with the desire for taking revenge on some people who had not helped him in a time of need. Being motivated by the desire for revenge is part of Luthor’s back story in many versions of the character. But the Luthor of Lois & Clark would never have displayed the characteristic in public for all to see. Branson’s post is here: https://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/meeting-donald-trump

The television series Lois & Clark depicted Lex Luthor in a rather unique manner. When the series ran in the 1990s I always thought of him as somewhat akin to Donald Trump in representation. But for the final version of my book manuscript it occurred to me that Trump has become in public such a a boorish figure and a divisive person, in ways that Lex Luthor would never seek to appear, that I better find a new billionaire as an analogy. Branson’s persona of surface jolliness fit Lois & Clark’s Luthor. So Branson it is. To be clear my analogy is about public personas and not the acts and deeds of either the fictional Luthor, or the very real Donald Trump and Richard Branson.